Altro Answers ‘DIY SOS’ Call From Children In Need
Tuesday 08 November 2011
Altro has helped to breathe new life into a dilapidated youth centre by donating 55m² of Altro Whiterock Chameleon hygienic wall cladding as part BBC One’s DIY SOS Children in Need special. The ‘Big Build’ saw Norris Green Youth Centre in Liverpool transformed over a nine day period in September. 18,000 man hours went into the project, with up to 220 people working on site at any one time. Hundreds of local and national suppliers donated their services and time to the project.
Norris Green Youth Centre is situated in one of the most deprived areas of Liverpool and has become a beacon of hope within the community, transforming the lives of young people in the area and helping them to broaden their horizons, develop skills and give them confidence and a positive attitude. At least 50 children and young people attend the centre every evening, seven days a week.
A vital part of the renovation project was the centre’s kitchen, and it was for this area that Altro donated 55m² of Altro Whiterock Chameleon wall cladding in Eau de Chic, a soft green colour, to cover the entire wall area.
The kitchen is the hub of the youth centre and provides free, healthy meals for between 40 and 50 young people every evening. Altro Whiterock Chameleon was ideal for this environment because it’s designed to be hard wearing, practical, easy to clean, as well as being stylish, glossy and bright.
Richard Kahn, Altro’s Chief Executive, said: “When Altro was approached by the BBC and asked to donate to the project we were delighted to help. Children in Need is a really worthy cause. Altro Whiterock Chameleon is a great option for Norris Green as it should last them years and years and is cost effective and easy to maintain. The finished project looks fantastic.”
The wall cladding was installed by MGD Specialist Interior Finishes. Sales and Contracts Manager, Justin Dorling, said: “Altro Whiterock Chameleon was perfect for this project because it’s a great looking product, but very practical as well. We did a site visit beforehand to make sure the walls were smooth and clean. They were then dry-lined with plasterboard to give a really uniform base.
“Once all the product was cut to shape, we applied a 5mm bed of Altro polyurethane adhesive to the back of the sheets of Altro Whiterock Chameleon and then it was straight onto the walls. We used a thermoformer on site to bend each sheet to the desired shape for angles and corners. The result was a fantastic wall finish and the feedback we got from people at the centre was great.
“This was a very enjoyable project to be involved in, and also challenging,” added Justin. “Because of the BBC filming there were a lot of people and cameras and we had a very tight schedule to finish in one day. It was nice to do something a bit different and for a very worthwhile cause. We were more than happy to help our local community.”
The youth centre is delighted with its new kitchen. Centre Co-ordinator Eileen Thompson said: “Fabulous! It looks stunning, very smart, clean-looking and first class workmanship. I want the same for my own kitchen at home and I have contacted the BBC to find out where I can get some of this product.
“As you can imagine, the kitchen is the heart of the youth centre and very busy every day. We needed a wall finish that was hard wearing, that we could wipe clean and know it would look as good as new.”
Eileen added: “The young people are thrilled with their new centre and the kitchen has been transformed into a wonderful, bright and beautiful place to be. I will be writing to all the suppliers, including Altro, to personally thank them for all their hard work and commitment to the project.”
